Op-Ed By Khmerization
7th November, 2009
Prime Minister Hun Sen is playing a dangerous diplomatic game with Thailand by provocatively appointing fugitive ex-Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra as his economic advisor that trigger an angry and a retaliatory chain reaction from the Thai government. Political pundits from both countries are concerned that a diplomatic war of words, shuttling between Bangkok and Phnom Penh, will unavoidably spark armed clashes and cause irreversible damages to years of good relations.
But who is interfering in whose affairs?
Thailand is angrily claiming that Mr. Hun Sen’s appointment of Mr. Thaksin as his government economic advisor against the will of the Thai government, was an interference of Thai internal affairs and the Thai justice system in a deliberate provocation attempt aimed at the destabilisation of the Thai government and to tarnish the image of the Thai justice system which convicted Mr. Thaksin of fraud.
The Cambodia government, however, responded that Cambodia is a sovereign nation and has every right to appoint anyone as its advisor as it sees fit, and claimed that the Thai objection over its appointment of Mr. Thaksin is an interference of its internal affairs.
Politically and diplomatically speaking, both sides had interfered of some sort in each other’s internal affairs. By appointing Mr. Thaksin, who is a fugitive after being convicted of fraud, as his economic advisor, Mr. Hun Sen had set out to interfere with the judicial and internal affairs of Thailand in order to set an old score over Preah Vihear issue. On the other hand, by objecting to appointment of Mr. Thaksin by Cambodia, which is a sovereign nation, Thailand is also interfering in the internal affairs and the sovereignty of Cambodia.
But what will Cambodia gain by provoking a diplomatic war with Thailand?
Prime Minister Hun Sen’s troublesome and provocative action has served no purpose in the promotion of peace and good neighbourly co-existence between the two people who shared a very similar historical cultural identity. Beside incurring the ire and the wrath of the Thai government, the appointment of Mr. Thaksin, had set out a chain of retaliatory reactions that only harm Cambodia’s interests and that of the Cambodian people.
Mr. Hun Sen had tactically devised his strategy of appointing Mr. Thaksin to irk the Thai government. First, Mr. Hun Sen wants to get back at Mr. Abhisit over Preah Vihear and the maritime border issues. And secondly, he had set out to destabilise Mr. Abhisit government in order to facilitate and to pave the way for the return of Thaksin, whom Mr. Hun Sen called “eternal friend”, to power as he cannot work with the Abhisit government. Mr. Hun Sen’s appointment of Mr. Thaksin was also a deliberate attempt to divert public attention away from Mr. Sam Rainsy’s accusations of border violations by Vietnam on the eastern borders. By creating a diversion from the larger and more serious territorial violations by his other “eternal friend” - Vietnam - Mr. Hun Sen hoped to garner supports by pitting one Thai against another by appointing Mr. Thaksin.
Mr. Hun Sen is wrong to think that he can use the “divide and conquer” rule against the Abhisit government in order to help his eternal Thai friend. His action would only alienate the Thai people from Mr. Thaksin and would serve to cement the rule of Mr. Abhisit as the Thai people will unite behind him because they consider Mr. Thaksin to be a traitor serving the interests of a foreign nation that is presently at odds with their own country. In fact, this theory has been proven correct in recent poll surveys conducted in Thailand which seen Mr. Abhisit’s popularity soared by threefold.
Thaksin, rightly or wrongly is a convicted fraudster, and being unable to set foot on Khmer and Thai soil, will not be able to serve his full capacity as a Cambodian government advisor to promote trades and investments between the two countries. And, unlike Mr. Lee Myung-bak, the current president of South Korea who was once appointed Mr. Hun Sen’s economic advisor, Mr. Thaksin, and again being unable to set foot on Khmer and Thai soil, will not be able to entice billions of dollars of trades and investments to Cambodia.
Furthermore, by triggering a diplomatic spat with Thailand, Mr. Hun Sen must be aware that it is Cambodia who will suffer more than Thailand. Cambodia has received some financial aid and loans from Thailand and many migrant Cambodian workers and students are currently working and studying in Thailand. On top of this, thousands of seasonal Cambodian labourers have been crossing the borders to work in Thailand everyday. Thai government has announced the suspension of aid to Cambodia and threatened to close the borders which will impact greatly on the livelihood of the Cambodian seasonal migrant workers.
The Thai losses
Many Thai academics and former diplomats viewed the recall of Thai ambassador to Cambodia as an over-reaction that had incurred the retaliatory reaction from the Cambodian government to the detriments of Thai national interests. Notwithstanding the loss of Cambodia’s interests, Thailand retaliatory actions of annulling the land border and maritime border agreements had not been at the interests of Thailand either. By annulling the agreements, Thailand has given Cambodia ammunitions to bring the case to the UN and the International Court of Justice, if Cambodia chooses to do so. And if Thailand had carried out its threats of border closures, Thailand will sure lose more economic benefits than Cambodia. Thai businesses had invested heavily in Cambodia. The two-way trades between Cambodia and Thailand, mostly through border checkpoints, amounted to over $2 billion dollars annually. Thai exports to Cambodia accounted to 80% of the two-way trades. By closing the borders, Thailand’s trades and businesses in Cambodia will be at the losing end.
Cambodia’s villain status
Mr. Hun Sen’s action had also damaged Cambodia’s status as a victim of the current Khmer-Thai border dispute. The world now sees Cambodia as being the villain and not the victim any more because they see Mr. Hun Sen’s action as a deliberate attempt to demonise, destabilise and to interfere in the internal affairs of Thailand.
Mr. Hun Sen’s action is wrong in trying to set an old score in this way. If Mr. Hun Sen wants to act tough against Thailand over Preah Vihear and the maritime border issues, he should have acted tough since the beginning by bringing the matter to the UN or International Court. To irk Thailand in this way will not achieve anything, but only create further problems that is perilous to Cambodia’s national interests.
Mr Hun Sen must also be mindful that a policy of supporting an individual leader against a foreign state has not been beneficial to Cambodia’s national interests, as has been shown in the past, because individual leaders come and go, but the state remain intact. He must have known that Sihanouk’s policy of a personality cult politics has brought irreparable damages to Cambodia’s national interests in the 1950s and 1960s. Sihanouk was a very good friend of Mao Tse-tung and Chou Enlai of China, Nehru of India, Pham Van Dong of Vietnam, Sukarno of Indonesia, Tito of Yugoslavia, Kim Il Sung of North Korea etc, etc. When these leaders died, Cambodia and Sihanouk lost their patrons and therefore the benefits.
By supporting Thaksin against the legitimate Thai government, even though it came to power through a constitutional coup d’etat, Mr. Hun Sen had angered the majority of the Thai people and had caused Mr. Thaksin to alienate many of his supporters because they consider his acceptance of the appointment by a foreign government as unpatriotic.
Mr. Hun Sen’s appointment of Mr. Thaksin is wrong. In the long term, his political gamesmanship is dangerous and will not benefit anyone, not even himself, as Thailand will retaliate and set out to find ways to destabilise his rule and eventually bring down his government one day as Thailand had done in the past by using the Issarak Movement and the Khmer Serei Movement against Sihanouk in the 1940s and 1950s.
Instead of creating rifts in the region, Mr. Hun Sen should be working towards creating a favourable condition to reaching a border resolution and regional peace, not working toward creating more troubles and instability in the region. Thanks to the maturity of the military leaders on the ground, unlike their political mentors, the border situations remain calm due to their restraint. As Thai prominent historian Charnvit Kasetsiri puts it "The only positive factor was that the military on both sides had so far stayed clear of the political gamesmanship". And one would have hoped that the situation will remain that way until the political waters had calmed down.
7th November, 2009
“Mr. Hun Sen’s appointment of Mr. Thaksin is wrong. In the long term, his political gamesmanship is dangerous and will not benefit anyone, not even himself, as Thailand will retaliate and set out to find ways to destabilise his rule and eventually bring down his government one day as Thailand had done in the past by using the Issarak Movement and the Khmer Serei Movement against Sihanouk in the 1940s and 1950s.”
Prime Minister Hun Sen is playing a dangerous diplomatic game with Thailand by provocatively appointing fugitive ex-Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra as his economic advisor that trigger an angry and a retaliatory chain reaction from the Thai government. Political pundits from both countries are concerned that a diplomatic war of words, shuttling between Bangkok and Phnom Penh, will unavoidably spark armed clashes and cause irreversible damages to years of good relations.
But who is interfering in whose affairs?
Thailand is angrily claiming that Mr. Hun Sen’s appointment of Mr. Thaksin as his government economic advisor against the will of the Thai government, was an interference of Thai internal affairs and the Thai justice system in a deliberate provocation attempt aimed at the destabilisation of the Thai government and to tarnish the image of the Thai justice system which convicted Mr. Thaksin of fraud.
The Cambodia government, however, responded that Cambodia is a sovereign nation and has every right to appoint anyone as its advisor as it sees fit, and claimed that the Thai objection over its appointment of Mr. Thaksin is an interference of its internal affairs.
Politically and diplomatically speaking, both sides had interfered of some sort in each other’s internal affairs. By appointing Mr. Thaksin, who is a fugitive after being convicted of fraud, as his economic advisor, Mr. Hun Sen had set out to interfere with the judicial and internal affairs of Thailand in order to set an old score over Preah Vihear issue. On the other hand, by objecting to appointment of Mr. Thaksin by Cambodia, which is a sovereign nation, Thailand is also interfering in the internal affairs and the sovereignty of Cambodia.
But what will Cambodia gain by provoking a diplomatic war with Thailand?
Prime Minister Hun Sen’s troublesome and provocative action has served no purpose in the promotion of peace and good neighbourly co-existence between the two people who shared a very similar historical cultural identity. Beside incurring the ire and the wrath of the Thai government, the appointment of Mr. Thaksin, had set out a chain of retaliatory reactions that only harm Cambodia’s interests and that of the Cambodian people.
Mr. Hun Sen had tactically devised his strategy of appointing Mr. Thaksin to irk the Thai government. First, Mr. Hun Sen wants to get back at Mr. Abhisit over Preah Vihear and the maritime border issues. And secondly, he had set out to destabilise Mr. Abhisit government in order to facilitate and to pave the way for the return of Thaksin, whom Mr. Hun Sen called “eternal friend”, to power as he cannot work with the Abhisit government. Mr. Hun Sen’s appointment of Mr. Thaksin was also a deliberate attempt to divert public attention away from Mr. Sam Rainsy’s accusations of border violations by Vietnam on the eastern borders. By creating a diversion from the larger and more serious territorial violations by his other “eternal friend” - Vietnam - Mr. Hun Sen hoped to garner supports by pitting one Thai against another by appointing Mr. Thaksin.
Mr. Hun Sen is wrong to think that he can use the “divide and conquer” rule against the Abhisit government in order to help his eternal Thai friend. His action would only alienate the Thai people from Mr. Thaksin and would serve to cement the rule of Mr. Abhisit as the Thai people will unite behind him because they consider Mr. Thaksin to be a traitor serving the interests of a foreign nation that is presently at odds with their own country. In fact, this theory has been proven correct in recent poll surveys conducted in Thailand which seen Mr. Abhisit’s popularity soared by threefold.
Thaksin, rightly or wrongly is a convicted fraudster, and being unable to set foot on Khmer and Thai soil, will not be able to serve his full capacity as a Cambodian government advisor to promote trades and investments between the two countries. And, unlike Mr. Lee Myung-bak, the current president of South Korea who was once appointed Mr. Hun Sen’s economic advisor, Mr. Thaksin, and again being unable to set foot on Khmer and Thai soil, will not be able to entice billions of dollars of trades and investments to Cambodia.
Furthermore, by triggering a diplomatic spat with Thailand, Mr. Hun Sen must be aware that it is Cambodia who will suffer more than Thailand. Cambodia has received some financial aid and loans from Thailand and many migrant Cambodian workers and students are currently working and studying in Thailand. On top of this, thousands of seasonal Cambodian labourers have been crossing the borders to work in Thailand everyday. Thai government has announced the suspension of aid to Cambodia and threatened to close the borders which will impact greatly on the livelihood of the Cambodian seasonal migrant workers.
The Thai losses
Many Thai academics and former diplomats viewed the recall of Thai ambassador to Cambodia as an over-reaction that had incurred the retaliatory reaction from the Cambodian government to the detriments of Thai national interests. Notwithstanding the loss of Cambodia’s interests, Thailand retaliatory actions of annulling the land border and maritime border agreements had not been at the interests of Thailand either. By annulling the agreements, Thailand has given Cambodia ammunitions to bring the case to the UN and the International Court of Justice, if Cambodia chooses to do so. And if Thailand had carried out its threats of border closures, Thailand will sure lose more economic benefits than Cambodia. Thai businesses had invested heavily in Cambodia. The two-way trades between Cambodia and Thailand, mostly through border checkpoints, amounted to over $2 billion dollars annually. Thai exports to Cambodia accounted to 80% of the two-way trades. By closing the borders, Thailand’s trades and businesses in Cambodia will be at the losing end.
Cambodia’s villain status
Mr. Hun Sen’s action had also damaged Cambodia’s status as a victim of the current Khmer-Thai border dispute. The world now sees Cambodia as being the villain and not the victim any more because they see Mr. Hun Sen’s action as a deliberate attempt to demonise, destabilise and to interfere in the internal affairs of Thailand.
Mr. Hun Sen’s action is wrong in trying to set an old score in this way. If Mr. Hun Sen wants to act tough against Thailand over Preah Vihear and the maritime border issues, he should have acted tough since the beginning by bringing the matter to the UN or International Court. To irk Thailand in this way will not achieve anything, but only create further problems that is perilous to Cambodia’s national interests.
Mr Hun Sen must also be mindful that a policy of supporting an individual leader against a foreign state has not been beneficial to Cambodia’s national interests, as has been shown in the past, because individual leaders come and go, but the state remain intact. He must have known that Sihanouk’s policy of a personality cult politics has brought irreparable damages to Cambodia’s national interests in the 1950s and 1960s. Sihanouk was a very good friend of Mao Tse-tung and Chou Enlai of China, Nehru of India, Pham Van Dong of Vietnam, Sukarno of Indonesia, Tito of Yugoslavia, Kim Il Sung of North Korea etc, etc. When these leaders died, Cambodia and Sihanouk lost their patrons and therefore the benefits.
By supporting Thaksin against the legitimate Thai government, even though it came to power through a constitutional coup d’etat, Mr. Hun Sen had angered the majority of the Thai people and had caused Mr. Thaksin to alienate many of his supporters because they consider his acceptance of the appointment by a foreign government as unpatriotic.
Mr. Hun Sen’s appointment of Mr. Thaksin is wrong. In the long term, his political gamesmanship is dangerous and will not benefit anyone, not even himself, as Thailand will retaliate and set out to find ways to destabilise his rule and eventually bring down his government one day as Thailand had done in the past by using the Issarak Movement and the Khmer Serei Movement against Sihanouk in the 1940s and 1950s.
Instead of creating rifts in the region, Mr. Hun Sen should be working towards creating a favourable condition to reaching a border resolution and regional peace, not working toward creating more troubles and instability in the region. Thanks to the maturity of the military leaders on the ground, unlike their political mentors, the border situations remain calm due to their restraint. As Thai prominent historian Charnvit Kasetsiri puts it "The only positive factor was that the military on both sides had so far stayed clear of the political gamesmanship". And one would have hoped that the situation will remain that way until the political waters had calmed down.
34 comments:
what you expect from our failing 8th grade leader! I Agreed with you this is a wrong policy.
Pi Cone khmer.
The Thais are a bunch of loonie ultra-nationalists...What is the matter with them??? It's true that Cambodia does not have economic experts of that caliber. That's why Samdech Hun Sen has the insight to import foreign know-how such as Lee Myung Bak of South Korea before he became Prime Minister and now former PM Thaksin of Thailand. The Thais are ungrateful bastards who owe so much to Cambodia for the past 800 years because they borrowed so much language and culture from the Khmers. The Thais have no power or influence beyond their borders. The Cambodians are indeed clever enough to recognise the special skill and talent possessed by Thaksin. Of course they are resentful even though he has been discarded by Thailand. One must not forget that all of Thailand was once Khmer land and Bangkok was a Khmer river-bank village. Instead of fostering fraternal friendship between our two peoples (Khmer-Thai) which share so much in common, they choose the wrong path to self-destruction and humiliation. In the eyes of the world, they are indeed a crazy disturbed people...The world is laughing at Thailand.
Achar Penh
The appointment of Thaksin is a political game to provoke a diplomatic war with Thailand. But I think that to provoke another government this way will not serve any purpose, except to cause more problems. Hun Sen should not mix personal and national interests. He must separate the two.
Like the article says, I don't think Thaksin can bring billions of dollars of trades and investments to Cambodia. In fact his appointment will bring nothing. On the contrary, his appointment has damaged diplomatic relations with Thailand. Thailand has cut aid, and if it closes the borders, Cambodian workers, border traders and students will be the ones who will suffer, not Hun Sen.
Furthermore, border talks will be delayed and Cambodia will be the one who will lose because Thai troops still occupy Khmer lands.
One more thing, if Hun Sen want to retaliate Abhisit because of Preah Vihear, he should not use Thaksin as a pawn. Hun Sen must take the Preah Vihear issue to the international stage, like Asean, UN or international court. To provoke Thailand this way will not solve the Preah Vihear and border problems, but will exacerbate it.
Hun sen seems pretty sudued for a loud mouth , knee jerk dictator.
I think Hun Sen realized his screw up after the meeting in Japan. He seems to calm down quite a bit after that trip due to concern of Japan, one of his biggest bread baskets. He always thinks that he can do no wrong when dealing with his own powerless people. His arrogance leads him to think that his can do the same to another sovereign country even that country is much bigger than his own. Does any country support his political game? NONE! Only his local blind supporters like the stupid CTN newsman Soy Sophap and many more who think that Hun Sen's game is the greatest one. I never heard a word from Hun Sen about his eternal friends from the East that are stealing Cambodian land along Cambodian-Vietnam borders. Mr. PM, are you Khmer or Yuon?
June 15 1962, a special date to remember that the ICJ in the Hague decided that Preah Vihear temple and the surrounding areas belong to Cambodia.
There is no overlapping areas.
No bilateral discussions needed.
A smart politian would simply ask the UN and ICJ to review the decisions rendered 47 years ago and translated into Thai in black and white.
The Sarit Thanarat unilateral map is null and void.
The Key to resolving all this mess is simply go straight to UN security council and ICJ...our national budget can be used for more important matters such as building schools and hospitals rather than diffusing bullets on the front line.
Two Khmer politicans safeguarding Khmer land:
Samdech Hun Sen on the western front.
His Excellency Sam Rainsy on the eastern front.
Try UN and ICJ for border matters...
Instead of focussing on Thaksin...I think Abhisit should call for a fresh election in Thailand instead and see who should run Thailand democratically.
Are you out off your mind? why dont u try to help our country? why you have so many negative minds set? or you're dumb? my friend, though u know exactly what our PM did is wrong, but watch out what he is doing now? not because our country? what will he get by doing such things like this? of cause, he may get some but what's the point...huhs? he knows exactly what is going to happen. beside him, who can u trust? your Man? can ur man handle such things like this? u may not know what we have now, is far different from before. and so many things more will change in the future too.....
you are such a stupid idiot.
if you want to help our country u should not think only negative from what our PM is doing right now. you see not only him alone can make these things happen, but he has so many wise people around him? i know you guys are also wise people, why dont we try to give him ideas to improve or develop our country? who knows, may be our ideas will help in the future.
my friend think about it again, it is the past and let us put the past into past list and never recall it again. what we can do now is to develop our country.
As I am Thai and we do not have personal conflic except the interest of countrys.
I agree with you in some degree that Hun Sen did the wrong game by lowwer weigth Abhisit but also support the wrong people.
The Traitor Shinawatra is notthing hell evil who did every thing just for himself. He can ruins his country just to bring back his status and money. Well, take close look on how much money he corrupted from Thailand.
At the end of you op is pointed to wrong people, I can tell Charnvit Kasetsiri is purely Thaksin's supporter. He said by Thaksin's money not an academic view.
Btw, Hun Sen will not use UN or ICJ even he keep talking about UN. This because the process take very very long time. Now day no country trust ICJ and no one walk to that rubbish court. This solution dont help.
Even I stand in differrence side of border and standpoint as I protecting my country's interrest but I post this as friend who share common identity in the past.
ICJ a rubbish court? Where did you get that idea 9:06pm? There is a mind set and big disrespectful manner from Thailand, you display here my friend. I don't agree with it.
This khmerization thing is getting gay now, i used to be a fan, but u just showed u r not neutral now. ur opinion is leading to prove that u r also a traitor to Cambodia. And u r trying to be a manipulating bitch now, no international community says PM's move is provocative or wrong, except the thai clown Abhisit and his lunatics.
Manae, shut the fuck up! u r just one yellow shirt shady bitch, u r such a disgrace to Thailand. ICJ is a rubbish court to u, because ICJ handed the temple to Cambodia.
Thaksin ruined ur country, but compare ur coutry before and after the Thaksin administration. Thaksin will be reelected.
6:40 PM
All leaders has or not has a degree from a western country have the same behavior They are not much different from each other.
- Abhisit was able to run his country Thailand, after a protest and not by an election. It means by a coup.
- Hun Sen just did his job better, because he won by a real election.
Nothing to complain, only who runs a country, has always something to say.
I thing I did wrong by posting comment here. There is no civil as it should or anyone may expacted.
Before angrily bliamed on me, better you take close look on ICJ after 1962. It would tell you something. Any country accept that court or their judgement?
Go on with ICJ if you wish, it not matter me.
@khmerization
You did good job for your country, give some light to the blind. I may stand in opposit but honor you. Great man!
You all read too much into this. It was a mistake, for sure, but it will blow over and forgotten in a few weeks time. Abhasit has too many internal problems to deal with. In comparison this is just a tempest in a tea kettle.
I totally agree with this article. Hun Sen is risking the country at the expense of his friendship with Thaksin. I don't know what game is Hun Sen playing but it's definitely not a good game. And it's unfair for Hun Sen to involve Cambodia in his game.
9:46PM, I beg to differ with you. Yes Abhisit has internal problems to keep him occupied but his popularity ratings have also tripled since the recall of the Thai Ambassador. It is in Abhisit's interest to continue taking this hardline stance against Cambodia until a suitable time comes for him to call for elections.
HUN Xen est un bon tacticien, Guerrier, corrompu et A la une grande gueule. Le peuple khmer est entrain de voir l'évolution d'histoire de M. Thaksin. C'est vraiement idiot de jouer ce jeu. Problème de Preah Vihear se Resout Avec le Traité de Paris et à la Haye. M. Thaksin, on s'en-foutisme. Mais Parce Que tu a peur de ton chef viet?
Le mauvais moment arrivera un jour. Tu n'es pas immortel. Tout ce que tu a volé, à te jugera toi ta famille et tes potes
Un bas bande de corrompue ..
Vivre le Cambodge Pays de bien aimé des Khmers
There is no doubt that Mr.Thaksin will add one more to it 9:46pm. Two with PM Hun Sen is siding with him, but ICJ court is a matter of understanding from Thailand. A very serious matter that Thailand, mostly the yellow shirts and PM Abhisit. They need to get it straighted one and for all.
We compare ICJ Court & Preah Vihear to the case of a child who had won custody by one parent ( Mom or Dad).
The Dad was losing. He got so upset and to this day is constantly harrassing the MOM and endlessly.
If there is any justice in the world, the bad Dad must get picked up by the police and get locked up behind bar for good. He is crazy and needs discipline. A very strong one.
Allowing him to rooming around doing what he wants to the Mom or think what he can do beyond the court, will get anybody anywhere. He will only become more and more dangerous to the society, especially the Mom. She could get killed. Who Knows ? Not just that, it could all be included with Grandmother, grandfather, baby sitter, friends, teachers, class mates, if a child is to attend school. That crazy man could open fire and kill them all!
There is no different with Thailand today. As smart as she is, Thailand is dumb and both eyes blind when it comes to Preah Vihear Temple. She is constantly nagging. Now what Abhisit is going to do? Cutting more aids, stop talking to Cambodia? and go on by herself? for what?!!!!!!!!ASEAN summit is coming in the week. The stock market is ready to crash the minute the matter is getting worse! Good lord!
Very enlightening analysis Khmeriza...
History has already passed but its invaluable lesson should be learned. History has taught Cambodian younger generation about the aggressive attempt of Thailand and Vietnam.
Current diplomatic tension between Hun Sen government and Abhisit government is the test of hegemonic effort of Vietnam and Thailand over Cambodia.
Vietnam can put Hun Sen in their armpit and taken much aventage over Thailand.
Under Hun Sen's leadership, this tension is showing only how good Hun Sen is biasing toward Thailand and serving Vietnam.
Hun Sen is just a pawn of Vietnam and Thailand now. He is becoming a good mean/tool for these country to play their hegemonic policies over Cambodia. Hun Sen has not had wisdom to run a country with self-reliance. If he wishes to lead the navy of Cambodia in the right path, he must be able to use international laws, Paris Peace Agreement and ICJ every effectively.
Cambodian people are sad to have such a pawn leader.
KY
I agreed with the article. Remember hun sen advisors are either youns or pro-youn, dictated by youns. They will rather keep khmer and thai fighting than exposing youns hidden agenda. If the thai are smart, at this point, they should help khmer. For history have shown that youns will stop at nothing. They don't have any sense of righteousness, or way of justice and equality.
Their end game is take more and more.
That same game that hun sen plays " divide and conquer " gonna destroys him.
Play the game, get kills by the games.
I heard someone mentioned that Abbhisit holds the premiership through coup while Hun Sen do it through election. To me, I don't know how Abbhisit came to power but I know for sure about Hun Sen. I remembered that in 1997 Hun Sen engineered a bloody coup to unseat Rannarith who were elected by the Cambodian people to run the country. After wrestling Premiership post from Rannarith through the coup, Hun Sen engineered everything to his advantage: reshuffle the army, the people, the court systems. Hun Sen hand picked all his men to run the National Election Committee(NEC) which is in charge of organizing and overseeing the election. With NEC at his side, Hun Sen and his CPP always hold the majority of the seats in the Assembly. Election in Cambodia is just a show for donor countries to believe that Cambodia is democratic country but in reality it runs by dictator who always cheats on every election. However, I still commend him for not cheating that much as compared to Saddam of Iraq. While late Saddam declared that he and his party win 99.8% of the vote, Hun Sen declared that he win only 57% of the vote, just enough to rule the country. To me, the 57% was preallocated in advance and engineered by the NEC just to ensure that Hun Sen is Prime Minister forever until he decide to stop running for election. What a power hungry man.
12:14 AM,
Very well said! Some of the idiots in here need to read your post and memorize it for their childrens. They don't know Jack about how Huynh (Kvack) Sen come into power.
I think all this broohaha is just a strategy that Hun Sen uses to lessen Cambodians' dependent on Thai goods and trade and as a result Cambodians will use more Vietnamese products and do more trade with the Vietnamese counterpart. I doubt all these troubles that Hun Sen is making are advised by the Vietnamese bosses. A bad relationship between Thailand and Cambodia is good for Vietnam. Now there's a three country (Lao, Cambodia, Vietnam) tourist development plan that can potentially compete with Thailand's robust touristic industry.
Thaksin is just a pawn and a scapegoat for Hun Sen and Vietnamese government. But the real winner is Abhisit because he garners more support from Thai people without doing anything, just some barking back to Hun Sen. The other winner is Vietnam. And the real loser is Thaksin. This could end Thaksin's come back to Thai politics.
Just my two cents.
Funny how some people like to call Hun Sen an 8th grade failure or in general, stupid. Now ask yourself this, how does he stay in power for so long and out smart all of his enemies? Out smarted the king who supposed to be well educated. In any political situation it is never easy. All I know is that this situation will definitly hurt ordinary Khmer even more. We all know that the Thai military would kill our innocent Khmers as long as they get the chance. And yet Hun Sen cares more for his eternal friend.
12:14 AM
I do agree with most of your comment. But I have to add that, in current atmosphere, Hun Sen can win without any voting fraud. CPP has grown very strong grassroot level support in all corners in the country and Hun Sen makes all those rich politicians and businessmen/women who benefit from corruption and bribes go to their assigned regions to help build infrastructures like levees, schools, roads,... Local CPP leaders who are hated by most in their districts will be removeed and replaced with new CPP members in order to lessen any resentment toward CPP, the party and its leaders.
Without voting fraud Hun Sen could lose the elections before the last one. But so far he has cemented his power through smart political tactics. It's going to be very hard for Sam Raingsy to topple Hun Sen.
1:24AM,
I agree that Hun Sen is not stupid. His intelligence is better than some with BA/BS degree or pHDs. My concern is that he doesn't act like a leader. Some of his speeches are very wild and uncivilized. I'm sure he's good at playing politics. But his long standing as the leader of Cambodia may be the result of the works of Vietnamese intelligence. A change of leadership in Cambodia will deal Vietnamese gov a huge blow as they now can make Cambodian government give them any concession and incentive they want.
I believe that the Vietnamese government is behind every political move implemented by Hun Sen. They also help CPP set up grassroot level support to ensure that Hun Sen and CPP will be in power for a very long time. Maybe they already know who will replace HUN SEN if anything happens to him.
Just my two cents.
Khmerization had raised many valid points in the article. Although Thailand will lose more in term of trades and businesses, it is the ordinary Cambodians like border traders, migrant workers and students who will suffer more if conflict breaks out.
Also I agree that Thaksin will not be able to help bring investments and trades to Cambodia.
The other thing is Hun Sen's action did more damages to his "eternal friend" Thaksin than good and his action had the opposite effect. He intended to destabilize Abhisit and help Thaksin but now he destroyed Thaksin and helped Abhisit because his popularity had tripled after Hun Sen appointed Thaksin.
1:51 AM,
I like to thank you for not cursing me like other people do (ref. my comment posted 12:14 AM). According to you, as of now Hun Sen should be popular enough to hold the election without resorting to fraud. If that is the case, he should restructure the army, the court systems, the National Election Committee (NEC) to where they are all become independent and are free to make their own decision, judgement by themselves without someone exerts influence on them. Once he accomplishes the tasks I shall recognize anyone, including Hun Sen to be my leader without complaining as long as the election fair and it is done according to the will of the people.
To 6:47PM
You are not Achar Penh, you are AH Kdor Penh. Your Samdach Hun Sen is Ah Kdor Sen.
8:35 PM
r u rubishing? blah blah blah...go and give ah kwack more blow jobs...what a fool!
7:21 PM,
More bashing please! You are the Jayvarman 7th, and the great grandfather of Sihanouk....! Khmer people need you!
9:06 PM,
Good point!
1:24 AM,
Regardless of the level of Hun Sen's education. AK 47 points to your head....now, my question to you....would you rather live or die? Die means you disagree and not vote for hun sen. Live means you vote for him and let him continue running Cambodia. Now, take a good look at your comment after you read mine....you are refering to hun sen as a smart man that is why, he is still in power.....!
To Hun Sen (Leader of the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime)
Since you and the CPP assassinated, executed, killed and murdered jurnalists, political opponents, leaders of the free trade union, innocent men, innocent women and innocent children;
Do you have any plan to assassinate the Thai prime minister (Abhisit Vejjajiva)?
Are you going to send Brigade 70 (Hun Sen's Death Squad Unit) to assassinate the Thai prime minister (Abhisit Vejjajiva)?
Is it true, you only kill your own peoples, you will not kill Thai and Veitnamese peoples that cannot get enough of our land?
Is it true, you only kill innocent Khmer peoples with no weapon in their hands?
Post a Comment